Library Journal

Novelist Standiford and investigating officer Matthews chronicle the riveting search for the murderer of Adam Walsh, a six-year-old boy abducted from outside a store in a Florida mall in July 1981. Most readers know the America's Most Wanted TV series and John Walsh, its host and the victim's father. The story behind the long and convoluted search for Adam's killer, which eventually became a cold case, takes many twists and turns. Few held out any hope of ever solving the mystery of who left the severed head of a child in a canal, and why Matthews, once part of the initial team brought in from another jurisdiction, was asked by Adam's parents to again try to unearth the truth. In December 2008, the case was finally resolved, thanks in large part to the dogged determination of a small team of experts with access to technology not available when the crime happened. The final gut-wrenching, horrific piece of evidence brought a long-awaited closure. VERDICT An essential read for those interested in forensic science and true crime.—Claire Franek, MSLS, Brockport, NY